Video games and video game systems have become even more popular due to the marketing toward, and resulting participation from, casual gamers. Conventional video game devices or controllers use visual and auditory cues to provide feedback to a user. In some interface devices, kinesthetic feedback (such as active and resistive force feedback) and/or tactile feedback (such as vibration, texture, and heat) is also provided to the user, more generally known collectively as “haptic feedback” or “haptic effects”. Haptic feedback can provide cues that enhance and simplify the user interface. Specifically, vibration effects, or vibrotactile haptic effects, may be useful in providing cues to users of electronic devices to alert the user to specific events, or provide realistic feedback to create greater sensory immersion within a simulated or virtual environment.
Other devices, such as medical devices, automotive controls, remote controls, and other similar devices wherein a user interacts with user input elements to cause an action also benefit from haptic feedback or haptic effects. For example, and not by way of limitation, user input elements on medical devices may be operated by a user outside the body of a patient at a proximal portion of a medical device to cause an action within the patient's body at a distal end of the medical device. Haptic feedback or haptic effects may be employed on devices to alert the user to specific events, or provide realistic feedback to the user regarding interaction of the medical device with the patient at the distal end of the medical device.
Conventional haptic feedback systems for gaming and other devices generally include one or more actuators attached to the housing for generating the haptic feedback. However, some actuators require a significant amount of time to slow down when braked and/or a significant amount of time to kick start. As such, a profile of the haptic effects output or delivered by the actuator may not match the desired haptic effect waveform. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 1, a desired haptic effect waveform 130 is shown with a corresponding or matching control signal 132. A haptic effect 134 output in response to control signal 132 is also shown. The profile of haptic effect 134 does not closely match or follow control signal 132 nor desired haptic effect waveform 130.
Embodiments hereof relate to methods and systems to improve an actuator's ability to achieve a desired haptic profile or waveform.